If the Democrats manage to win the Senate in November, it might just be because George Allen, the incumbent Republican in Virginia, can't stop apologizing. First, he apologized for using the odd word, "macaca," in referring to an Indian-American volunteer for his opponent, Democrat James Webb. Then, he sort-of apologized for not admitting that he is part Jewish, possibly (we don't know) because he ws afriad of offending some of his fundamentalist Christian voter base. (He says that he only found out in August that his mother, who was born in Tunisia, is Jewish.)

But Allen's weirdest, and funniest, predicament came yesterday. Months after it was revealed in the New Republic that he used to sport a Confederate flag, and days after it was revealed that he was often known to use the "N-word" when referring to black Virginians, Allen is now in trouble with the group called Sons of Confederate Veterans. (Remember, Virginia was the seat of the Confederacy.) Allen apologized for the flag flap and denied the "N-word" thing. But the Sons group now want an apology, too.

"The denunciation of the flag to score political points is anathema to our organization," said a leader of the Sons group, offended that anyone would not be proud of the rebel flag.